The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Algeria’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Micro-Enterprises have agreed to deepen their partnership in a bid to accelerate the growth of small businesses and early-stage ventures across the continent.
The announcement came at the close of the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), held in Algiers from 4–10 September.
Speaking at the event, Ousmane Fall, acting director of the AfDB’s Industrial and Trade Development Department, underlined the institution’s role in channelling capital towards young firms. “Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and startups is one of the key pillars of our work,” he said, noting that the Bank would combine new financing instruments with advisory support and policy reforms to help ventures scale.
New funds, new signals
The delegation also held discussions with Algeria Venture, the public startup accelerator, to explore links with Algerian investment funds and international venture capital players. Both sides confirmed plans to co-host the African Startup Conference in Algiers in December 2025 an event positioned to showcase innovation and attract fresh capital.
Algeria’s innovation minister, Noureddine Ouadah, revealed that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has authorised the launch of a new investment fund dedicated to African startups, signalling a stronger policy shift towards entrepreneurship as a driver of economic renewal.
From trade fairs to tangible growth
The AfDB used the fair to highlight its private-sector financing tools and to meet firms it considers high-impact. Talks with Nigeria’s Solewant Group a steel and coatings business expanding into industrial services, illustrated the Bank’s preference for companies that are both African-led and export-oriented.
“Solewant perfectly illustrates the type of transformative business we want to back,” said Cédric Achille Mbeng Mezui, who leads private sector investment operations at the Bank’s Africa Investment Forum.
Alongside investment dialogues, the AfDB presented its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab and the ENNOVA platform, designed to help startups grow beyond their domestic markets. Sessions co-hosted with UNDP’s Timbuktoo initiative and the African Union focused on practical steps to build ecosystems where young firms can thrive.
With Nigeria confirmed as the next IATF host in 2027, the Bank stressed that its commitment runs deeper than conferences. It sees entrepreneurship and innovation as central to the continent’s industrial transformation and as opportunities for private investors to participate in Africa’s next growth chapter.
